With the introduction of optical fibers into the communications network, particularly the outside cable plant, a critical need for accurate, reliable, easy-to-use splicing hardware has arisen. Accuracy in this context entails basically the precise axial alignment and end abutment of corresponding fibers. Reliability includes the permanence of the splice once effected and the repeatability from splice to splice of the desired high-level of optical coupling between corresponding fibers. Ease of use involves effecting gang splices in the field using a minimum of steps, each simple and requiring no great dexterity.
Splicing hardware to achieve the foregoing, must accommodate optical fibers contained within a series of stacked ribbon structures, since the ribbon stack is preferred as a multifiber unit. The ribbons contain a number, for example 12, of equally spaced, parallel fibers. The ribbons of a stack must be capable of being fanned out and selectively connected to other ribbon structures. Additionally, there is need for both a rearrangeable splice and a permanent splice in the joining of optical fiber ribbons or cables made up of a plurality of ribbons.